Grain weigher and tally



(No Model.)

G. KEITH, Jr.

GRAIN WEIGHER AND TALLY.

No. 271,079. Patented Jan.23,1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRAIN WElGHER AND TALLY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,079, dated January 3, 1885,

Application filed September 28, 1882.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE KEITH, Jr, a citizen ofthe United btates, residing at Freedom, in the county of La. Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Grain Weigher and Tally; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, Such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a machine and combination of devices for automatically weighing and registering grain and other substances; and it consists more especially in the combination and arrangement of the parts in an organized machine for shifting the grain-spout from one discharge-opening to another when the desired amount of grain shall have been received into the receptacle, and for automatically registering the movement of the grainspout, the parts being operated by the weight of the grain which is-received in receptacles placed upon platforms connected with independent scale-heams, as will be hereinafter more'fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation having the dial-plate removed. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detailed views of the parts detached.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a platform or base, which is provided with two openings. over which are placed raised platforms B B, having down wardly-extending portions which rest upon converging levers G G, which are pivoted to the platform at one end, and are connected at their other end, by the rods 0 c, to the ends of the scale-beams D D, which are hung upon suitable brackets attached to the front of the supporting-frame. The scale-beams D D are suitably graduated, and provided with movable weights a and the usual attachment found in scales of this class. These scale-beams have at their ends, near the point where the rods 0 c are connected with the same, a pin, d, or its equivalent, which (No model.)

strikes against the T-shaped lever, which is connected with the mechanism for imparting movement to the movable spent and register, the scale-beam being operated by the weight of the grain which is received on the plat form B B.

Attached to a bracket on the rear of the upright frame, so as to be capable of an oscillating movement, is a grain-spout, E, through which the grain is fed before being measured. Immediately in front of this spout, and secured rigidly to the frame, are two stationary in-; clined spouts, F F, which converge toward the spout E, and extend forward to a point over the rear of the center of the platform B B, so that the grain, by its own momentum while passing through these spouts, will fall into the receptacle placed on the platform.

The spoutE, which is inclined and pivoted so as to oscillate between the stationary spout F, is operated through the medium of the scale-beam, the pin (1 striking against the T- shaped lever G, which is pivoted at its upper central portion to the nprightframe. Thislever is slotted at the end of its downwardlyexlending portion g.

Immediately in front of the lever G is secured a lever, II, which is bolted to the frame at a point near its base. This lever H is provided with a iearwardly-extending pin, 71,

which engages in the slot 9. The lever H is slotted at its upper portion and engages with the pin 6, attached to the end of the spout E. The oscillating movement of the lever H is governed by a staple,f, attached to the frame and extending over the lever, as shown.

By the means hereinbefore described the grain-spout E is shifted from one passage-way to another when a sufficient amount has been received in the receptacle, said amount being variable according to the position of the movable weight on the scale-beam.

The mechanism for registering the number of shifts made by the spout E is attached to the upright frame in front of the means einployed to operate the spoutE, and the devices for operating the dial are inclosed in a suitable casing or cover, through which the lever extends at the upper part.

The dial-hands are operated by the motion of the oscillating lever H, which is'attached near its upper part to a forwardly-projecting pin, 1'. This pin 1' engages in a slot, 7c, located in the upper part of lever K, which is provided at its opposite end with a foot, 1. This lever is pivoted at its heel m to the casing and at its end it to the meansforoperatingtheratchetwheels.

The front of the casing may have the dials marked thereon; or they may be marked on the plate attached to the casing. These dials are suitably graduated. On the annexeddrawings I have shown two dials, though it is evident that the number may be increased.

The indicating-hands are secured to shafts which are provided with suitable hearings in the casings, and with ratchet-wheels which are attached to the shafts upon dit't'erent planes with each other.

The unit atchet-wheel 0, as shown' in Fig. 5, extends over the adjacent ratchet-wheel, and is provided near its periphery with apin, 1), which engages with the teeth of the adjacent wheel, and causes it to rotate and register one point for each complete rotation of the unit-wheel 0. The 1"atc het-wheels are secured rigidly to their respective shafts, which are provided with indicating-hands.

The rear of the rotating shaft, back of the ratchet-wheel 0, forms a hearing or guide for the tumbler or plate P, which is connected to the register-operating means, as will be hereinafter described.

Over the shaft of the dial-plate 0, and pivoted to the end of the foot lot the lever K, is a cross-bar with an upwardly-projecting portion, to which the foot of the lever K is pivoted. This cross-bar has a downwardly-projecting plate, R, which is cut away so as to provide arms or guides s s,which extend on each side of the shaft.

To the upper part of the cross-bar, below the foot of the lever K, is secured aspring, t, which bears against the end of the dogs w to, which are pivoted to the ends of the crossbar, and are provided with pins which engage with the ratchet ot' the wheel 0. When the lever K is oscillated by the movement of the lever B, the foot Zis drawn upward or depressed, and the dogs on the tumbler or cross bar act on the ratchet-wheel 0 and' cause the hands to indicate one point.

It will be not-iced that all the parts operate in conjunction to measure and register the movement of the grain-spout, though itis evident that the grain may be guided from one spout to another, by the mechanism herein described, without using the registering apparatus, and that the scales may be employed for weighing ordinary commodities.

If desirable, the platform upon which the grain-receptacles rest may be movable upon the lever 0, so that the platform can be moved on the leverso as to adjust the scales relatively to the weight of the grain-receptacle and the friction of the operating parts, though usually I make this adjustment on the scale-beam.

Having thus described one way of carrying out my invention, 1 do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction shown, as I may vary the same without departing from the spirit of my invention.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

1. [n a grain-weighing apparatus, the scalebeams provided at their ends with abutting means for tripping an anvil, as shown, in com biuation with an anvil connected to a pivoted lever, whereby the grain-spout is shifted, substantially as described.

2. The platforms B B, supported upon levers O O, and connected to the scale-beam provided with a rearwardly-projecting 11ammer, for the purpose set forth.

3. The pivoted anvil G, with extended portion g, connected to an oscillating lever attached to the movable spout for oscillating the same, and operated by the scale-beams l) D from the platforms B B, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The oscillating lever H, connected to a movable spout, in combination with the lever K, operating "means for registering the movement of the spout, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I at'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE KEITH, JR.

Witnesses:

MILLARD F. BROWN, FRED. J. KEITH. 

